Psalm 6 is one of six that are described as penitential....David knew, in other words, that he brought his troubles on himself and he is begging God to restore him to the close relationship he used to have....before he sinned and made God angry. Sin separates us from God. Have you ever felt what that is like? I have. It is miserable to feel the gut-wrenching ramifications of your own willful choices. And I was a Christian when I sinned thus. A child of a Father who was not going to let me get away with it. Lots of tears. Curled up in a fetal ball of pain wrenching out my repentance. Best never to go there, but if you have, you know that the Father will let you feel the full force of it so that you never want to make that choice again. Tough love. Why?
Your life is not your own. That's why. You were bought with a price. You are loved too much and your destiny too priceless to let you take it to some gutter and squander it. Rescue can feel like hate when you don't want it. When you don't know you are running as fast as you can to the edge of a cliff that will kill you and someone spoils your fun, it makes you mad. I think I have been spared more trips over the edge than I even know about.
But David is in mourning over his sin. His relationship with his God is so important that he laments over the separation from Him as he would mourn the loss of a lover. When his God has restored David, he knows the mouths of his enemies will be shut. What have they been saying? "I thought he was a Christian! Ha! Look what he did." That is probably why God is so angry, too. We have dragged His Name into our mess. It cannot be helped because we bear His name. Nothing for us and David but to get up, trust in the goodness of God, and try again to wear His glory better, walking forward on wobbly feet and uncertain ground toward all God dreamed for us before He made the world. That is what we walked (ran) away from in our willfullness....His thrilling plans for our lives. So, get up and get back to the joy of discovery. Then your enemy will be routed.
Jeremiah prayed (ch. 10): I know, Lord, that a man's life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps. Correct me, Lord, but only with justice - not in Your anger, lest you reduce me to nothing.
Of course, God's anger could blow us up. He is God! But His hope is to correct us, not destroy us. He loves us enough to stand in our way when we wander aimlessly or run willfully in the wrong direction. I often pray: "Lord, do not let me get away with anything that makes You angry. Stop me quickly." You see, I hated the cringing season of repentance and never want to be on that bed of pain again. My other prayer: "Never let me forget what that feels like." I know in His correction there is also direction because in our lives there is only PLAN A.
Your life is not your own. That's why. You were bought with a price. You are loved too much and your destiny too priceless to let you take it to some gutter and squander it. Rescue can feel like hate when you don't want it. When you don't know you are running as fast as you can to the edge of a cliff that will kill you and someone spoils your fun, it makes you mad. I think I have been spared more trips over the edge than I even know about.
But David is in mourning over his sin. His relationship with his God is so important that he laments over the separation from Him as he would mourn the loss of a lover. When his God has restored David, he knows the mouths of his enemies will be shut. What have they been saying? "I thought he was a Christian! Ha! Look what he did." That is probably why God is so angry, too. We have dragged His Name into our mess. It cannot be helped because we bear His name. Nothing for us and David but to get up, trust in the goodness of God, and try again to wear His glory better, walking forward on wobbly feet and uncertain ground toward all God dreamed for us before He made the world. That is what we walked (ran) away from in our willfullness....His thrilling plans for our lives. So, get up and get back to the joy of discovery. Then your enemy will be routed.
Jeremiah prayed (ch. 10): I know, Lord, that a man's life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps. Correct me, Lord, but only with justice - not in Your anger, lest you reduce me to nothing.
Of course, God's anger could blow us up. He is God! But His hope is to correct us, not destroy us. He loves us enough to stand in our way when we wander aimlessly or run willfully in the wrong direction. I often pray: "Lord, do not let me get away with anything that makes You angry. Stop me quickly." You see, I hated the cringing season of repentance and never want to be on that bed of pain again. My other prayer: "Never let me forget what that feels like." I know in His correction there is also direction because in our lives there is only PLAN A.
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